Former DeCoven Diner goes to the hot dogs

In 2005, a Perry County landmark headed to Connecticut. The DeCoven Diner, which served food to residents and travelers on Routes 11/15 near Susquenita High School, was disassembled, loaded up and sent north.

The 1950s style diner was separated into two parts. Both were loaded on trailers and readied for transport.

The diner was sold on eBay, the Internet auction site. New owner Gary Zemola, 42, of Sandy Hook, Conn., said the diner fulfills a dream.

Currently it is in storage. Zemola is waiting for approvals from local government agencies before he can rebuild the diner in the Sandy Hook area.

The diner was made in 1954 by the Jerry O'Mahoney Co. of Elizabeth, N.J.

"I've always been interested in them," said Zemola. "Originally, that's what I wanted to do, open up an original old-school diner. The dream has never left. I still want to do it.'

Zemola owns and operates a hot dog stand called Super Duper Weenie, a critically acclaimed restaurant that was featured on "David Letterman.'

This is the second diner Zemola has owned. "The first one I had was substantially smaller.' Code enforcement would have required the structure to be chopped up beyond recognition.

"When this one came along, it looked like something more appropriate for what I wanted to do.'

He said the restaurant was in good shape upon arrival. "On a scale of one to 10, it's about an eight.'

Zemola hopes the diner, once in place, will draw people to remember the past. The diner is from a time, when the owner, "a hardworking guy could make a good buck and put out decent food," Zemola said.

Box restaurants these days are thrown together quickly and much of the food is pre-made offsite. "God only knows how much of it is truly prepared there," Zemola lamented. "There's been many a morning when I'd love to go out and get a stack of fresh blueberry pancakes with some real maple syrup. It's just not out there.